Clean Up
by x0x
Summary: When you're listening through a door, things don't always come out right. Especially when you're Shikamaru. [bDay fic for Paige, lover of all things [ShikaIno]]


**a/n **A Happy-Early-Birthday to my friend Paige/Panda/Piggy/the wonderful-yet-story-less-authoress-Ino admirer/my great friend. Also the one who purposely told me what she wanted for her birthday and then watched as I bought it. Damn cheater... hope you enjoy your coughShika-plushiecough. And once again I say, to the one who loves all things ShikaIno I now present without further adu (until the end of the story of course), I give you my happy-birthday-fic.

**BTW: **Just to clear it up, there all...16? Yeah, let's go with 16. And nope, no Sasuke in this story you lucky bitch. Jp. (COUGHpigginCOUGH) Inside joke...

-XxXxXxXxX-

Walking throughout the streets of Konoha, Shikamaru Nara casually walked...slouched through, occasionally taking glances up at the sky looming overhead. He let out a sigh. _Missions...almost as troublesome as women..._ Breathing lightly, he eventually stopped a few feet from the Hokage's tower. Inwardly groaning as he climbed the stairs, he attempted to guess the reason for the Hokage calling him to er office.

Climbing up the flights of stairs, he finally paused in front of the door to Tsunade's own office. He quietly rapped on the door twice before he heard a muffled "Enter." He opened the door and stepped inside, quickly glancing at each person in the room. Tsunade, Shizune, Chouji, and Ino. Even though each of the original team members had split on their own separate ways, they would occasionally work together as a group on various missions.

It always brought back good memories...and some pain-induced memories...

Shikamaru stepped forward more so until he was standing between an annoyed Ino and a nervous Chouji who surprisingly didn't have any food with him at the moment.

"Well, now that _all_ of you are here, it is time I tell you the reason being." Tsunade said, stressing the word all while having an annoyed expression on her face. "As you know, your last mission was the least bit impressive, am I correct?" She asked, emphasizing the last few words as to get her point across.

Shikamaru thought back to their last mission. C-ranked and quite easy. Of course, in receiving one of the easiest missions, bad luck was doomed upon the group. The mission had been to help a local restaurant owner by watching over any suspicious customers in the restaurant, rumor being that spies were being sent from competitive restaurants.

All in all, the mission had been a complete disaster, reason being that Chouji had eaten most of the food that was intentionally for the customers, Ino had been flirting with the restaurant owner (claiming that he was extremely handsome and that it was so worth any of the consequences endured) until realizing he was baring a wedding ring, and Shikamaru had just been too lazy to do anything about it.

Seeing that his thoughts had drifted, his mind traveled back to the group present.

"...your punishment shall be cleaning out the restaurant that your mission took place in."

Ino immediately spoke up. "What? I can't clean a restaurant, they are disgusting!" She cried out loudly.

Tsunade sent a chilling glare before ignoring her statement and going on.

"I expect no excuses and no exceptions. You all begin tomorrow at eight o' clock sharp. Any questions? No? Good. Dismissed." She waved them off with a flick of her wrist as Shizune lead them out the door.

Before the door was shut, Shikamaru could've sworn he had heard Tsunade open a draw and exclaim "Work will do those young ones good just as sake does for anyone else." He let out an aggravated sigh before muttering "Troublesome."

-XxXxXxXxX-

The next morning, Shikamaru, Chouji, and Ino stood outside the restaurant, each baring a grim expression upon their faces. Each dressed in their usual attire, they walked in together suddenly being met by a large man standing almost directly in the doorway.

"Hello and welcome to-oh...it's you three..." His face immediately dropped into a disapproving expression. Apparently he remembered the group from their last encounter. He sighed. "Well...come in..." He turned and walked through the double doors, the three teammates following, Ino grumbling under her breath.

As he lead them through the doors, the group casually glanced around the room taking in the familiar dining area. There was a small podium where a waiter or waitress stood standing firmly, waiting for any customer to arrive with a reservation.

Behind the small podium were about ten tables each occupying four chairs, a maroon table cloth, a single candle in the center, silverware, plates, bowls, and wine glasses standing, waiting for their next takers.

Behind the tables, three sets of doors could be seen, one being a double door set leading to what was assumed as the kitchen while the other two doors leading to the men and women's restrooms.

He turned around suddenly, causing the three to halt in their steps. "Alright, apparently the Hokage has claimed you good enough to be here today, if not good enough, ready to be put to work. Am I correct?" Three heads shook simultaneously before he spoke again. "Well, seeing as you are ready, here are your jobs. You-" he nodded his head in Shikamaru's direction. "-will be assigned to the kitchen, cleaning every dish, cup, and piece of silverware that has even the tiniest speckle of grime on it's surface. Understood?" Shikamaru nodded obediently while thinking a very meaningful_ 'Troublesome._' The man then turned in Ino and Choji's direction "As for you two...you seemed to cause the most trouble in our last encounter. You both shall be cleaning out the bathrooms. Understood?" Ino was about to cry out in protest, her hands balling into fists, fury raging in her eyes, luckily Choji stepped in, clamping a hand over her mouth. "Understood." He replied firmly.

The man nodded and dismissed himself with a slight bow before turning and walking to a nearby waiter, ready to discuss any event that may soon take place in the restaurant.

The three glanced at each other before turning towards their work areas, Shikamaru heading for the kitchen area, Choji and Ino heading towards the restrooms.

-XxXxXxXxX-

Done, he was finally done. Shikamaru looked at the large pile of dishes, all sparkling clean, a tower nearing the ceiling. Sighing and wiping the sweat off his brow, he wiped his hands on a nearby towel before walking towards the double doors leading to the main part of the restaurant.

'_I wonder how Choji and Ino have been holding up. I haven't heard anything in a while._' Shikamaru unconsciously began walking in the direction of the bathrooms. As he was about to push open the door of the women's room, he stopped after hearing a voice.

"Ew...what is that?"

He waited and listened, it was definitely Ino. What was she talking-

"Ew, THAT'S what it is?!?" He heard her ask loudly.

Shikamaru pressed his ear against the door. _'What the he-'_

"You want me to stick it WHERE?" Ino's voice cut through the door, partially muffled.

Shikamaru stood absolutely confused. _'What is it? What are you talking about?' _He was wondering. He paused when her voice spoke again.

"A lot of people have these?...Guys...AND girls??? Oh KAMI, that is just DISGUSTING!" He heard her shout.

Shikamaru stood straight for a moment. _'What. The. Fuck?'_ He was about to ponder more on the information he had just heard when his thoughts were interrupted again.

"Why's it so wet...and...hard? Ugh, this thing smells..."

If anyone had seen Shikamaru at this moment, he would appear to some how resemble a deer caught in the headlights with it's mouth wide open twitching visibly.

"Ew...I can't believe I'm doing this...fine, I'll stick it in there..."

Shikamaru was frozen completely until he heard her moving. _'Oh Kami, INO!' _

He bolted through the bathroom door at that instant shouting "INO, DON'T DO IT!" at the top of his lungs. What he was amazed to see was...

Choji standing in the corner of the bathroom...

And Ino...

Holding...

A toilet plunger.

'_W...t...f?'_

"Wha-..." he asked dumbly staring at the two. Ino was staring intently at him. "What's up Shikamaru?"

He stared dumbly at the two for a moment before gaining his composure. "Oh...I was just...going to tell you...that..the men's bathroom is still dirty..." He responded quickly. Choji let out a groan while Ino's face took on an enraged appearance.

"You're one to talk lazy-ass! We cleaned that whole bathroom, it ain't clean enough for you now? Ugh, you inconsiderate..."

Shikamaru listened to her ramble on about how unseeing Shikamaru was at the smaller details of the job they were assigned to had in fact been accomplished as Shikamaru just listened deafly and nodded in agreement while trying to rid himself of the slight blush that had appeared on his cheeks.

-XxXxXxXxX-

**a/n **Yay! A day before Paige's party and I just finished it WHILE she tried reading it over my shoulder...damn cheater XD. Anywho, I hope you like it Paige and to any other readers, R&R!!! x0x


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